Usman Ododo has been sworn in as the 5th democratically elected governor of Kogi State.
He took over from Yahaya Bello who has completed his second term in office.
Ododo was sworn in by the Kogi State Chief Judge, Justice Josiah Mejabi, at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Centre in Lokoja, the State capital.
He was administered the oath office at exactly 2:27pm after his Deputy, Elder Joel Salifu Oyibo, who had earlier taken his turn at 2:18 pm amid cheers from a mammoth crowd of personalities and well wishers.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, witnessed the ceremony.
Also present at the swearing in ceremony were Ododo’s predecessor, Yahaya Bello, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje and other top members of the party.
In his inaugural speech, Ododo appreciated the presence of one of his rivals during the election, Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) stating that politics of bitterness is over.
He pledged that under his leadership, Kogi State will become one of the sub national pilots for key drivers of the Federal Governments programmes in food security, poverty eradication, job creation, access to capital, inclusion of rule of law, the fight against corruption and overall economic growth of the state.
